Thomas Jones (judge)

Sir Thomas Jones KS (13 October 1614 – 31 May 1692) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1676.

Jones was the second son of Edward Jones and his wife Mary Powell, daughter of Robert Powell of Whittington Park. He was educated at Shrewsbury School before being admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as a pensioner on 9 May 1629. On 6 May of the same year he became a student of Lincoln's Inn, and was called to the bar on 17 March 1634, two years after finishing his Bachelor of Arts degree. His career began in Shrewsbury, where he was elected Alderman in 1638.

During the English Civil War Shrewsbury was a Royalist garrison and Prince Rupert stayed at Jones's house. Jones was taken prisoner when the town was captured by the Parliamentarians in February 1645, the commissioners for corporations later stated that "he had declared himself against the commission of array" and "refused to find a dragoon for the King’s service".

In 1660, Jones was elected Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury in the 1660 Convention parliament, together with his cousin Samuel. The day following the election he became town clerk for Shrewsbury and served until 1662. Also in 1660, he was made a Bencher at Lincoln's Inn. He was re-elected MP for Shrewsbury in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament. During this time he was inactive in Westminster, and instead furthered his legal career in Wales and the Marches. Between 1662 and 1670 he served on Eyre circuits of Northern Wales, and in 1669 he was made a Serjeant-at-law. In 1671 he was made Chief Justice of the North Wales circuit. The same year he was promoted to King's Serjeant and knighted on 26 October.

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